Advani files papers for Gandhinagar

“Other states too had asked me to contest the polls from their states. But I chose to contest from Gandhinagar as the people have made me victorious and that too with a larger margin than the last election.”

Advani, who is contesting the seat for the third term, submitted four sets of papers to returning officer and collector Sanjay Prasad at the collectorate in Gandhinagar. Treasurer of Gujarat unit of BJP Surendra Patel filed his nomination as a dummy candidate for the same seat.

Before Advani filed his papers, BJP workers, MLAs and office-bearers took out a rally from Udhyog Bhavan Circle to the collectorate.

Advani was accompanied by Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel and State BJP president Rajendrasinh Rana. Among the Ministers who accompanied Advani to the collectorate were Ashok Bhatt, Haren Pandya, Anandiben Patel, Vajubhai Vala and Gujarat Electricity Board chairman Nalin Bhatt, besides chairpersons and directors of boards and corporations.

He filed the first set of nomination papers at 12.39 pm, which is supposed to be the Vijay Mahurat’ for the Union Home Minister. After filing his nomination, Advani pledged in Gujarati to protect the integrity of the country.

Later, addressing BJP workers at Town Hall, Advani compared Pakistan to a wounded animal and said the hostile neighbour was trying to avenge its defeats at the hands of Indian soldiers.

He said Pakistan was trying to keep up proxy war against India despite being vanquished in Kargil. However, he said all necessary action would be taken to stamp out the activities of the Inter-Services Intelligence.

About Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s Lahore bus trip, Advani said the gesture had demonstrated India’s sincere efforts to build stronger ties with Pakistan. It was due to this effort that for the first time in 50 years, world opinion tilted in India’s favour during the Kargil crisis, he said.

He, however, said Kargil would not be an election issue.